The air was laden with the screams from the slaves that fell to the depths of the sea with the ship they manned. Crom must have had a reason for my life, for I was the only sole that was sparred.
...
The currents of the ocean swept me to a beach full of vegetation and beasts, but were not kind enough to leave me anything but a broken oar that I managed to salvage from the wreck. I lost many friends that night, even some of my own blood was claimed by the depths of that damned water beast! I looked around and seen nothing, nothing but a woman locked in chains. I spoke with the woman, who requested I slay a man whom held her captive; I would tolerate slavery no longer! Full speed I ran, oar in hand, towards the wretched soul, the man who kept the woman captive. Before the man could release any sound from his rotting mouth, the oar cracked over his head, spilling his blood in the bleached sand on which both of us were standing. I wrenched the key from his ever-still body, along with his weighty coin purse, and released the woman from her chains. Soon after, she led me through the jungle, then to the gates that surrounded a new beginning – the gates of Tortage.
…
Surely this would be a new beginning. My first stop was at the Lonely Dog Inn where my appetite and thirst was quenched for a measly 20 tin. After my mead was finished, I decided to take a walk around the inner city, perhaps to find work and a place to stay. Too much mead must have been had that night, however, as the streets began to sway and the laughter throughout the streets began to muffle. Faster and faster my world began to spin, until the lights faintly dimmed and I fell to the ground. Now, total darkness came over me.
…
When I came to, it must have been very late in the evening. There was no more laughter carrying throughout the streets, and the night sky was very dark except for the hazy smoke billowing off of torches outside closed city shops and homes. That’s when I realized I wasn’t alone. I was being held down on the ground by four men, and a rapier was at my throat. “He must have a coin purse on him somewhere, I seen the man eat a meal fit for a king at the Inn just earlier today,” whispered a hooded man. Noticing I was waking up, the hooded figure angrily asked, “Where is your money, old man? I do not have time to play games with you. Tell me where it is or the guards may find a floater in the river by tomorrow’s end, if you know what I mean.” “Cowards! Why should it take five men to hold down one drunkard? You shall not have my purse nor my life!” And then I was overwhelmed with a sensation I knew all too well – pain. The hooded man sliced through my right arm with his rapier, and again demanded the purse or he may not be so lenient with the punishment next time. I remained quiet and I could see the temper of the hooded man beginning to rise until he swung back with the rapier and began the slicing blow that would end my life. I continued to curse and spit at him; I would not die without a fight, or at least an earful! A series of arrows whizzed by either side of the hooded man before the rapier was able to make contact with my throat. All four men that were holding me down were impaled by the speedy arrows; well aimed arrows that quickly ended the lives of those men. Startled, the hooded man didn’t even bother to look behind him to the see who the attackers were. He sheathed his rapier and ran in the opposite direction of the arrows, only to be met with a foot in his chest. Before any words could be exchanged, a group of men picked up the hooded man and dragged him off. Confused, and still feeling the effects of the mead, I stood up. Dusting myself off, I introduced myself, “I am Warnhoff, a Barbarian from the lands of Cimmeria. I came to this city by means of a slave ship that was gutted and claimed by the ocean. I thank you for saving my life.” To my surprise, the man’s voice greeted me with a chuckle, “Perhaps next time you will reconsider drinking so much without a means of getting home, barbarian. No need to thank me, you see, I am Dagothar of The Sentinels. These here,” as he looks around, “are my streets, my corners, my inns, as are all in Hyboria. These lands can be a dangerous place at night Barbarian, but you need not worry, you will always be safe; we are always watching.”
…
The rest is history in the making. I was soon offered a place to say, food to eat, drinks to be had, all in exchange for joining the ever-watching Sentinels. What I did not know was that I not only joined a group of people to earn some coin, but I was now a brother in the family. Several years have passed and our family has grown. This is why I am holding my hand out to you, fellow adventures, as this is an offer to join the brother and sisterhood; to join the forces that watch over all of Hyboria. You will not be alone in our family; you will never be alone again.
We are watchers of the night, protectors of honor, we are The Sentinels.
STRENGTH AND HONOR